Download People have used animal and human feces to fertilize crops... centuries because manure contains many vitamins that plants need.

STARTING TO USE URINE AS FERTILIZER
People have used animal and human feces to fertilize crops for
centuries because manure contains many vitamins that plants need.
What most people don’t know is that the majority of beneficial nutrients
leave human and animal bodies through urine rather than through
feces, and the majority of urine is pathogen-free. People in the developed and developing world are beginning to use this untapped nutrient
potential to fertilize crops with great success. It’s currently being tried
all over West Africa. This paper will teach you how to collect urine in
modified jug and turn it into fertilizer in a safe and cheap manner.
The Urine Collector
We can’t apply urine directly
on plants because it’s too
acidic and will burn the roots
of our plants. We need to
collect the urine and dilute it.
If your latrine doesn’t have
a roof, you need a cover
to keep rain out during the
wet season to avoid
over-diluting the nutrients
in the urine. You can use
anything that can sit over
the funnel. Put a small
hole in the middle and
loop your string through.
Cost: 0-350 CFA
Start by getting a 20 L yellow
jug (not green because we
need to see the liquid level
inside). Cost: 400-750 CFA
Buy a large mouth funnel
that can fit tightly into the
jug opening. The stainless
steel funnels made locally
are best. If possible, have
the funnel maker add a
screen to block debris from
falling in.
Cost: 500-1000 CFA
We need to make the jug
air-tight. Otherwise it’s going
to stink, and that stink will
mean a lot of precious
nitrogen is leaving as
ammonia. First, we tie a piece
of rubber cord where the jug
and the funnel meet to seal
any air gaps.
Cost: 0-100 CFA
Next, we’re going to make a seal for
the mouth of the funnel. Put 3 old
plastic bags one inside the other
and fill the inner most bag part way
with water. Push the air out and tie
the bags up top so it swims. Now tie
it to a string. Cost: 0-50 CFA
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Ask the funnel makers
if they can make a nice
cover like this out of
sheet metal. Ours did
for 350 CFA.
Now draw a line at
the 5 liter level (1/4
up from the bottom).
This is for our dilution
of 1 part urine, 3 parts
water.
Tada! A beautiful jug ready to collect urine. The
rope is attached to the latrine wall. When you want
to add urine to the jug, pull the rope up. The bag
and cover will rise. Add urine and place the cover
once more. The jug is now airtight and rain proof.
NOTE: Women and small children can add urine to
the funnel using a cup. Sit a cup or old can in the
latrine. People can urinate into the cup and dump it
into the collector afterwards.
Collecting and Diluting Urine
We want our fertilizer to be 1 part urine, 3 parts water: That means we
need 5 liters of our 20 liter jug to be urine. Here’s what we do:
1.
Add ONLY URINE to the 5 liter line. This usually takes 4 or 5 days.
2.
STOP adding urine at the 5 liter line. Now 1/4 of the jug is urine.
3.
Let the jug sit for 2 days. This will kill any schistosomiasis in the jug.
4.
Take the jug to your chosen garden or field.
5.
Now top off the jug with water and mix it a little.
A Note on Diseases
Only diseases of the urinary
tract are transferred through
urine. The most common is
schistosomiasis, which we kill
during collection. Other urinary
tract infections are rarely
spread through contact with
urine, so even though we will
take precaution, there is no
need to be afraid of the urine.
The jug is now 1/4 urine (5 L)
and 3/4 water (15 L). Tada!
You just made urine fertilizer,
and it’s ready to fertilize!
Fields:
Gardens:
Trees:
Application Rate
2 Liters of Mix per 1 Square Meter of Field Crops each Week
4 Liters of Mix per 1 Square Meter of Garden Crops each Week
2 Liters of Mix per Tree each Week
NOTE: These are strong doses that will produce a visible increase in most crops. Once people are convinced the urine fertilizer works, we can use more efficient nutrient application rates for specific crops.
Prepare an Application Area
We want to see that there is a difference when urine is used, so it is best to chose an area we can split in
two. We put urine fertilizer on one portion and none on the other. We’ll be able to see the difference with
urine and non-urine crops next to each other. Use sticks to mark off the area where urine will be used.
With field
crops,
choose a small section
of a larger field and
consistently apply the
fertilizer to that area.
For garden plots,
split each in half
and fertilize the
same half with
urine each week.
When to Apply
START APPLYING URINE at the time of planting.
STOP APPLYING URINE one month before harvest. Old plants cannot use extra vitamins efficiently, so the
urine is best used elsewhere or saved for later use. This also adds a level of precaution against any
microbes that may have been in the urine. The vast majority of microbes in urine die off in one month.
How to Apply Urine
1. Find something to measure out the desired dose.
2. Pour the fertilizer near the ground to prevent
urine from getting on the leaves.
3. Wait until the fertilizer seeps into the ground.
4. Now, water the area with pure water. Recall that
the nitrogen in urine turns into a gas and escapes
(and stinks!). This water pushes the urine into the
ground to keep the nitrogen (and smell) there.
For more information, please contact Peace
Corps Mali or e-mail [email protected]
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Last updated January 2009
What to Fertilize with Urine
BAD FOR: Flooded Rice, because we don’t
want that urine sitting in pooled water.
LITTLE EFFECT ON: Legumes, Beans, and
Peanuts, because they already fix nitrogen.
BEST ON: Corn, Millet; Sorghum, Salads,
Spinach, and other Greens because the
nitrogen in urine is especially great for growing
bigger leaves and lots of seeds.
BUT GREAT ON: Everything Else (Onions,
Tomatoes, Potatoes, Eggplant, Bananas,
Peppers, Garlic, Cucumber, Melons, Squash,
Okra, Cabbage, Sweet Potatoes, Cassava...)